Automatic door opening device



Jan. 26, 1932. A. VISPO 1,842,888

AUTOMATIC DOOR OPENING DEVICE Filed April 11, 1930 Patented Jan. 26, 1932 PATENT OFFICE v.AIT'JSON'IO VISIPO, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC noon Application filed April 11,

i This invention relates to new and useful improvements in an automatically operated door for restaurants and the like.

The invention has for an object the provision of a device of the class mentioned which is of simple durable construction, dependable in use and efficient in action and which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

The invention proposes a door, a floorway to the door, a depressible panel on the floor to. the front of the door, means for auto matically opening and holding open said door upon depression of said panel, means for releasing said holding means automatically after a pre-determined time, and means for closing said door when free. In restaurants it is conventional to divide the kitchen from the dining room with swing- 2 ing doors. Waiters must pass thru these doors very frequently and generally with their hands fully occupied carrying dishes. This forces them to open the doors by leaning against them and endangers an upset of the dishes being carried. According to the instant invention, when one approaches the door, the door automatically opens so that passing is permitted and after a pre-determined period of time slowly closes. It is essential that the closing be slow so that if someone is passing thru the 'door at the time, no damage will be done.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure Fig. 1 is a schematic fragmentary perspective view of a fioorway and doorway thereon arranged to operate according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1 directly beneath the floorway. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational View of a portion of Fig. 1 with a portion of OPENING DEVICE 1930. Serial No. 443,302.

the mechanism broken away to disclose interior parts.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on the line l4l of Fig. 3.

The automatically operated doors for restaurants and the like consists of a door 10, a fioorway 11 to the door, a depressible panel 12 on the floor to the front of the door, means for automatically opening and holding open said door upon depression of the panel 12, means for releasing said holding means automatically after a predetermined time, and means for closing said door when free. The door shown in Fig. 1 consists of two sections 10 hinged at their outer ends 13 upon a door frame 1 1-. These doors are of the swinging type and open either to the front or to the rear. The floorway 11 is shown provided with a dividing line 15 for directing traffic thru the door. It is intended for all persons to keep to the right so that one of the door sections be used for passing from the dining room into the kitchen and the other from the kitchen into the dining room. It is proposed that a panel 12 be arranged to the front of each of the door sections. Dot and dash lines 16 indicate the path of swinging of the door sections 11 when properly used, that is, when persons keep to the right.

Each of the panels 12 are mounted beneath a carpet or other floor covering 17 arranged upon the floorway 11. The panels 12 are hingedly mounted at one of their ends 18 and are provided with coaxial springs or other means for normally urging them slightly upwards as indicated by dot and dash lines 20 in Fig. 3. This necessitates that the carpet 17 can also move slightly upwards as inclicated by the dot and dash lines 21.

' The means for automatically opening and holding open said doorsection upon depression of said panel 12 consists of a rod 22 attached to the top section coaxially with the hinge point of the latter element. A radial arm23 projects from the rod 22 and con- 95 nects with the core of a solenoid 2 1. This solenoid is intended for connection in a circuit controlled by a switch 25 operated by downward and upward motion of the panel 12. The switch 25 consists of a depressible 199 plunger 26 normally urged upwards by a spring 27. In the raised position, the head of the plunger acts against contacts connected with electrical leads 28 and serving to close the electrical circuit.

A ball 29 normally rests upon the top of the plunger 26 and serves to hold the plunger depressed so that the circuit is open. The frame 27 encircles the plunger and is arranged beneath the ball 29 so as to be capable of lifting the ball upon being moved upwards. The switch is mounted within a casing 30 supported beneath the flooring 11. An arm 31 is pivotally mounted intermediateits ends on the outside of the casing "30 and has one of its ends projecting thru a slot 32 in the casing and connecting with the frame 27' so that upon motion being capable of raising or lowering the frame. The other end of the arm 31 connects with the bottom of the panel 12.

The means for releasing said holding means automatically after a pro-determined time consists of an inclined passage 33 arranged within the casing 30 and so located that it terminates in the vicinity of the plunger 26 and is so formed that when the ball 29 rolls thru the passage it finally comes to a position of rest upon the plunger for depressing the plunger. A plurality of pins 34 serve as obstacles in the pathway 33 and are slidably mounted in the casing so as to be capable of moving out of the pathway so as to permit the passage of the ball. These pins are connected upon the cranks 35 of a crank shaft v56 rotatably-mounted within an auxiliary casing 37 attached upon the side of the casing'30.

A motor 38 is mounted upon the casing 87 and connects with a gear reduction 39 which is int-urn connected with the crank shaft 36. The cranks of the crank shaft are so arranged that adjacent pins alternately move in and out. The pins 34 are arran ed in groups, with the pins in each group of different lengths so that they protrude in their extended position to different degrees within the pathway 38. As shown in Fig. at there are three pins to each of the groups. The smallest pin is shown fully extendedinto the pathway, the intermediate sized pin fully withdrawn, and the large pin fully extended. The other groups are similarly arranged.

The casing 30 is formed with a top opening 40 directly beneath a removable block 41 upon the floor 11. It is intended that the block 41 may be removed for reaching the ball 29 so that the ball can be removed and replaced with a ball of a difierent diameter. Such a change will change the interval of time which it takes the ball to travel thru the pathway'and back upon the top of the plunger 26. It will be seen'th'at if the ball is of a size so as to fill almost the entire he' ht of the passage, it will be arrested-by oath of the pinsirrespective of their lengths.

Thus the ball will be permitted to travel the distance between a pair of pins each time the crank shaft 36 makes one half a revolution. If a smaller diameter ball were used and assuming that it is in the position shown by the dot and dash lines 42 in Fig. 4, it will be capable of passing the extended small pin of the first group, neoessarilypnssing the retracted intermediate pin also of the first group, and finally be arrested by the extended large pin. Thusgfor each one half a revolu tion of the shaft 36 the ball may travel the distance between-three pins. Thus the period of time which it takes to reach the plunger 26 will be reduced.

The means for closingthe door section 10' when free consists of a conventional door spring 45 arranged upon the door frame 14 and acting against the door section. This door spring is of the type which allows the door section to close slowly.

In operation of the device, when a person approaches one of the door sections and steps upon the carpet directly over the panel 12, the panel will be depressed so as to pivot-the arm 81 and lift the ball off the plunger 26 and deposit the .ball into the topof the pathway 33. When the plunger 26 is freed, the spring 27 automatically forces it upwards so that the circuit is closed by the switch 25. This circuit includes the solenoid 24 which extends its core for pivoting the door section open along the line indicated by numeral 16. i

The electric motor slowly rotates the" shaft 36 and this rotation is transmittedto move the pins 34 into and out of the pathway 33. Adjacent pins alternately move in. andout and allow the ball to descend thru the pathway until it finally alights'upon the plunger 26 depressing the latterelement forbreaking the circuit and allowing the door spring 45 to slowly close the door.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my inventiornit is to be understood that I do not limit myselfto the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as-defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is 1. An automatically operated door for restaurants, comprising a door section, a floorway to the door, a depressible panel on the floor to the front of the door section, means for automatically opening 'and'hol'ding open said door section upon depressing of said panel, means for releasing-said holding means automatically after a pre-determined period of time, and means for closing said door when free, said means for automatically opening and holding open said door upon ilepression of the panel oomprisesa rodfixo'd upon the door section coaxially with its hinge point and provided with a radial arm connected with the core of a solenoid, said solenoid being for connection in a circuit controlled by a switching means operable by depression of said panel.

2. An automatically operated door for restaurants, comprising a door section, a floorway to the door, a depressible panel on the floor to the front of the door section, means for automatically opening and holding open said door section upon depresslng of said panel, means for releasing said holding means automatically after a pre-determined period of time, and means for closing said door when free, said means for automatically opening and holding open said door upon depression of the panel comprises a rod fixed upon the door section coaxially with its hinge point and provided with a radial arm connected with the core of a solenoid, said solenoid being for connection in a circuit controlled by a switching means operable by depression of said panel, and said switching means consists of a switch connected in the circuit of the solenoid, a depressible plunger iormally urged upwards and in raised position contacting for closing said switch, a ball resting upon the plunger for holding it depressed and the switch open, and a frame encircling said plunger and positioned beneath said ball so as to be capable upon upward motion to raise the ball for allowing upward motion of the plunger.

3. An automatically operated door for restaurants, comprising a door section, a fioorway to the door, a depressible panel on the floor to the front of the door section, means for automatically opening and holding open said door section upon depressing of said panel, means for releasing said holding means automatically after a predetermined period of time, and means for closing said door when free, said means for automatically opening and holding open said door upon depression of the panel comprises a rod fixed upon the door section coaxially with its hing-e point and provided with a radial arm connected with the core of a solenoid, said solenoid being for connection in a circuit controlled by a switching means operable by depression of said panel, and said switching means consists of a switch connected in the circuit of the solenoid, a depressible plunger normally urged upwards and in raised position contacting for closing said switch, a ball resting upon the plunger for holding it depressed and the switch open, and a frame encircling said plunger and positioned beneath said ball so as to be capable upon upward motion to raise the ball for allowing upward motion of the plunger, said switch being mounted within a casing formed with an inclined pathway for receiving the ball when raised, and an arm pivotally mounted and connected with said frame and with said panel for accomplishing the raising of the ball.

al. An automatically operated door for restaurants, comprising a door section, a. fioorway to the door, a depressible panel on the floor to the front of the door section, means for automatically opening and holding open said door section upon depressing of said panel, means for releasing said holding means automatically after a pre-determined period of time, and means for closing said door when free, said means for releasing said holding means automatically after a predetermined period of time comprises an inclined pathway for the passage of a ball, a ball for holding open a circuit controlling said releasing when resting upon a plunger, a means for raising said ball and depositing it in the top of said inclined pathway, and obstacles within said pathway alternately moving out of the pathway so as to allow a gradual and slow descending of the ball.

An automatically operated door for restaurants, comprising a door section, a floorway to the door, a. depressible panel on the "loor to the front of the door section, means for automatically opening and holding open said door section upon depressing of said panel, means for releasing said holding means automatically after a pre-determined period of time, and means for closing said door when free, said means for releasing said holding means automatically after a pre-determined period of time comprises an inclined pathway for the passage of a ball, a ball for holding open a circuit controlling said releasing when resting upon a plunger, a means for raising said ball and depositing it in the top of said inclined pathway, and obstacles within said pathway alternately moving out of the pathway so as to allow a gradual and slow descending of the ball, said obstacles being of different sizes so that the time period of the travel of the ball may be changed by substituting a ball of a different size.

6. An automatically operated door for res taurants, comprising a door section, a floorway to the door, a depressible panel in the floor to the front of the door section, means for automatically opening and holding open said door section upon depressing of said panel, means for releasing said holding means automatically after a pre-determined period of time, and means for closing said door when free, said means for releasing said holding means automatically after a predetermined period of time comprising an inclined pathway for the passage of a ball, a ball for holding open a circuit controlling said releasing when resting upon a plunger, obstacles within said pathway, a means for raising said obstacles, and means for alter nately moving the obstacles out of the pathsignature.

ANTONIO VISPO. 

